Juicer



July 27, 1948- H. A. woRMEcK AL 4 2,446,151

JUICER Filed Feb: 25, 1946 Patented July 27, 1948 JUICER Herbert A. `Wormeck and Frederick P. Hess, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors` to The Enterprise Manufacturing Company of Pennsylvania,

Philadelphia, vania la., a. corporation of Pennsyl- Application February 25, 194e, serial No. `64.9,.1502

i This invention relatesA to va juicer and'more particularly to the production of that type of juicer in which juices are expressed from the pulp of fruit or the like by means of a Worm of the gener-al type utilized in food choppers.

lAn important object of the invention is the provision in a structure of this character of an arrangement such that 4the principal operating elements, the Worm, the strainer tube'through which expressed juices are passed, and the `hopper through which the material being juicedis delivered to the worm, are so constructed that they may be very rapidly disassembled for cleansing purposes. i

Another object of the. invention is the priovision of a simple methodof securing the strainer tube of the juicer in position with relation to the hopper while, at the same time, maintaining a maximum drainage area of the tube in exposed position for straining the juices expressed from the pulp.

Still another object of the invention is the provision in a structure of this character of'a simple bearing of the worm may be avoided. i

`These and other objects we attain from `the I construction shown in the accompanying kdrawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a, juicer constructed in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I IJ designates a vertically extending tube which may either comprise the feed hopper of the apparatus or -a neck by which a tray type feed hopper may be positioned as suggested by the construction lines of Fig. 1. This tube, at its lower end, is provided with stirrups II and I2 which are formed in part by the lower end of the tube and in part by integral strap sections depending therefrom. These stirrups are circular in form and of differing diameters having tapering inner surfaces I3 for coaction with the tapered wall of strainer tube I4.

Strainer tube I4 consists of a conical tube of perforated sheet metal, this tube being produced by rolling a, properly formed perforated sheet to produce the cone and securing the edges thereof along the major portion of the length of the tube by a retainer I5 forming a rib on this portion f the tube. This rib extends from the outer smaller end of the tube to the outer edge of an Claims. (Cl. 10U- 48) opening I6 formed in the tube corresponding in size to the opening of the hopper tube I0. The rear, or larger end of the tube, has secured thereto an annular angle flange element I1, the projecting flange I8 of which is adapted toi seat -against shoulder I9 upon the outer face of the stirrup I2 and be clamped thereagainst by engagement with the stirrup I2 with bearing element 2B. Bearing element ZI] receives the shaft 2| of worm 22 which worm is of the type wherein the groove between the worm flange decreases in diameter as it approaches the worm end,jthe larger groove area being arranged in alignment with the hopper tube IU and the opening I6of the strainer. This worm internally fits the strainer and causes material, deliveredto `the hoppento be progressed to the discharge mouth 23 of the strainer tube under increasing pressure in order that all available juices in the material may be expressed from the pulp and discharged through the strainer proper on the arrival of the pulpat theidischarge 23. Obviously,`in a structure of this character considerable strain l is placed upon the outer end of the strainer tube due to frictional engagement `of the pulp with the interior of thestrainerwall and this strain would ordinarily serve to distort the strainer tube particularly since this tube is weakened'by a formation of the opening I6. To prevent this distortion, the stirrup II has formed in the wall thereof a notch 24 receiving and fitting rib I5 of the strainer tube.

Another difculty met with in juicers, particularly where the juicer is connected with drive mechanism of a type needing lubrication is a tendency of the lubricant to pass to the strainer chamber and a tendency of the expressed juices to move back to lubricated surfaces such as that of shaft 2 I To insure against either contamination of the expressed juices or of the lubricant, the bearing 2| is formed with a forwardly projecting flange 25 between the forward edge of which and the stirrup I2, the ring flange I9 is axially clamped and the worm 22 is provided with an annular flange 26 fitting in the strainer I4 in the stirrup I2. This flange 26` is spaced from the adjacent end ofbearing 2li to form a, chamber 21 provided with an outlet 28, at present illustrated as formed partially in flange 25 and partially in the stirrup I2. Furthermore, shaft 2| is provided with an annular flange 29 which abuts the inner end of bearing 20. It will be obvious that the thrust of worm 22, in expressing pulp to outlet 23, will maintain the flange 29 in rm engagement with the end of bearing 20,

1 the strainer tube may be slid into the stirrups` l I and l2 until the ange i8 engages the shoulder I9 and the worm 22 and its bearing pla-ced i'n position and clamped by meansof screws 3l). The structure is thus capable of rapid assembly and disassembly and the separationv of the various elements `thereof for `cleansing requires but a moments time.

Since the construction herein illustrated is capable of considerable modi-cation'without"departing from the spirit of our invention, We do not Wish to be understood as limiting ourselves thereto except las hereinafter claimed.

We claim:

1. In a juicer, a feed hopper having an open bottom and provided with annular stirrups arranged at opposite sides of said open bottom, a

strainer tube directed through and tting Within saidstirrups and having a ange at one end, one of said stirrups having an external shoulder against which said ange abuts, a worm in said tube, and a bearing for the Worm engaged with said stirrup to clamp the tube ange therebetween.

2. In a juicer, `a feed hopper having an open lbottom and provided with annular stirrups -arranged at opposite sides of said open bottom, a ,f

strainer tube mounted in said stirrups and having one end thereof clamped to the outer face of one of said stirrups, said strainer tube having an opening for alignment with the hopper bore and beyond said opening from the clamped end thereof having a rib engaging in a notch in the other of the stir-rups.

v3. In a juicer, a feed hopper having an open bottom and provided with annularstirrups arranged at opposite sides of said open bottom, a strainer tube directed through and fitting Within said stirrups and having a flange at one end, one of A-said stirrups having an external shoulder against which said flange abuts, a Worm in said tube, a bearing for the Worm engaged with said stirrup to clamp the tube flange therebetween, said strainer tube having an opening for alignment with the hopper bore and beyond said opening from the clamped end thereof having a ribv engaging in a notch in the other of the stirrups.

4. In a juicer, a feed hopper having an open bottom and provided with annular stirrups arranged at opposite sides of said open bottom, a strainer tube directed through and fitting Within said stirrups and having a flangeat one end, one of said stirrups having an external shoulder against which said flange abuts, a worm in said tube, a shaft for said worm, a bearing for the worm shaft having an annular axially directed flange eng-aged with said stirrup to clamp the tube flange therebetween, an annular radial ange on the worm shaft engaging the outer end of the bearing, a flange on the inner end of the worm and fitting within the inner end of the strainer tube, the bearing, ,its axial flange, said one stirrup and the worm flange forming anannular chamber containing the radial flan-ge rof the worm shaft and having a drainage outlet.v

5. In a juicer, a feed hopper having an open bottom and provided with annular stirrups. arranged at opposite sides of said open bottom, said stirrups being of diiTerent diameters, .a tapered strainer tube mounted in said stirrups and having' the larger end thereof clamped to the outer face of the larger oi"y said stirrups, said strainer tube having an opening for alignment With the hopper bore and beyond said opening from` the Iclamped end thereof having a rib engaging ina notch in the smaller of the stirrups.

HERBERT A. WORMECK. FREDERICK P. HESS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record fin the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,615,734 Alsi Jan. 25, 1925 2,305,679 DAchille Dec. 22, 1942 

